Enrollment Department Lies [UPDATE: BC Voted To Cancel April 6, 2014 GTC Meeting]

March 14, 2013 UPDATE: Leah Dodge and Mike Debraska have now been provided stipends for their attendance at the February 16, 2014 GTC Meeting.

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Oneida Eye Publisher Leah Sue Dodge and GTC Advocate Michael Debraska have both received letters from the Oneida Tribe’s Enrollment Dept. stating:

This letter is to inform you that you are ineligible for the $100.00 stipend for the General Tribal Council Meeting held on February 16, 2014.

In accordance with the General Tribal Council Meeting Stipend Policy…you are ineligible because the record shows you:

✕  Did not remain in the designated meeting area.

The following letters have been sent to the Enrollments Director via certified mail in response to those lies:

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Cheryl Skolaski, Enrollments Director
Oneida Tribe Enrollment Department
P O Box 365
Oneida, WI 54155

Sent via USPS Certified Mail

Dear Cheryl:

Consider this the formal appeal of the wrongful denial of my stipend for the February 16, 2014 GTC Meeting, which I properly registered for and attended, and for which I remained in the designated meeting area until properly signing-out after the meeting’s adjournment.

The baseless accusation by anyone that I in any way “Did not remain in the designated meeting area” during the February 16, 2014 GTC Annual Meeting is totally without merit.

A map is included with all GTC Meeting Packets (see attached) which shows exactly what the boundaries of the ‘Designated GTC Meeting Area’ are as shaded in gray. At no point did I ever vacate the area shaded in gray on that ‘Designated GTC Meeting Area’ map.

At one point during the meeting Tribe member Mike Debraska and I were asked by OPD Officer Matt Ninham to step with him inside the double doors to the east of the Three Clans Ballroom.

I’ve marked the area in question with an ‘X’ on the attached copy of the ‘Designated GTC Meeting Area’ map which shows it definitely is within the ‘Designated GTC Meeting Area.’

Shortly after that OPD Officer Jack Mehojah stated to Mike Debraska and to me that if we were to leave the ‘Designated GTC Meeting Area’ he would confiscate our wristbands and eject us from the GTC Meeting.

Neither Mike Debraska nor I ever did leave the ‘Designated GTC Meeting Area’ during the meeting as evidenced by the fact that our wristbands were not confiscated and we were both allowed to return to the Three Clans Ballroom in full view of Officer Mehojah and other police and casino guards in order to further participate in the GTC Meeting.

PM Productions’ audio and video footage of the GTC Meeting itself will verify my presence on the floor in the Three Clans Ballroom until the adjournment of the meeting.

Whether or not Officers Ninham and Mehojah will testify honestly to the Enrollment Department about what happened depends upon their honor as police officers of the Oneida Tribe.

It is quite obvious to me that this is a pathetic attempt at retaliation on the part of the Enrollment Department or whomever is feeding the Enrollment Department demonstrable lies about me.

Whether such a petty revenge move is personally or politically motivated isn’t clear, but what should be made clear is that if the Enrollment Department acts, or allows itself to be used, in such a way as to interfere with my Constitutional rights as a member of General Tribal Council I will petition to take the matter before General Tribal Council for their consideration.

I expect to receive the $100 stipend which I fully deserve as a GTC member who rightfully and properly registered for, attended, and participated in the February 16, 2014 GTC Meeting, and because I fully remained within the ‘Designated GTC Meeting Area’ for its duration and properly signed out as witnessed by sign-out worker Jennifer Webster after the end of the meeting.

If you choose to deny my appeal, please note that I will fully pursue my appellate rights for this wrongful denial, including all related costs associated therewith, as I will not tolerate any false accusations regarding my whereabouts during the February 16, 2014 GTC meeting.

Sincerely,

Leah Sue Dodge

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February 28, 2014

Cheryl Skolaski
Oneida Enrollment Department
VIA CERTIFIED RETURN RECEIPT
P.O. Box 365
Oneida, WI.  53155

RE:  Appeal of Decision for Refusal to pay Michael Debraska the 
       $100 General Tribal Council Stipend on February 16, 2014

Dear Cheryl:

This letter will serve as my intent to appeal the decision to not disburse the $100.00 General Tribal Council (GTC) stipend to me per the letter dated February 19, 2014 sent along with the General Tribal Council Meeting Stipend Payment Policy, based upon the false and unsubstantiated claim that “the record shows” that I “did not remain in the designated meeting area” during the duly authorized and properly noticed GTC meeting held on February 16, 2014.

Should you continue to deny the disbursement of my stipend, please include with your response any current Oneida Police Department (OPD) formal report(s), incident report(s), surveillance tape(s)/footage, casino internal security report(s), statement(s), and any other relevant and pertinent information surrounding this matter, whether written or oral, so as to provide proof of arriving at your decision to deny a GTC stipend.

Further, If you decide to not grant my stipend, please place me on the agenda of Oneida Trust/Enrollment Committee for either the first or second meeting scheduled in March 2014 and notify me via e-mail listed below of the exact date, time, and location.  I am also demanding to have my meeting on the same day/time/location with Leah Sue Dodge since it appears that we seem to have been singled out for denial of the GTC stipend in this alleged incident.

Should this matter require the appeal to the Trust/Enrollment Committee, I will also seek reimbursement at a rate of $200.00 plus mileage if you wish to have a meeting.  The $200.00 is comprised of $25.00/hr. for travel time of four (4) hours from Milwaukee to Oneida and back, plus mileage.  Mileage will be charged and paid at the current governmental standard level and the hourly rate will continue for travel from Milwaukee to Oneida and back to attend any and/or all meeting(s) held to continually deny me my rightfully earned GTC stipend.

It should be noted that Leah was approached by Internal Security and OPD officers in my presence.  Since I act as her advocate:

1. I had every right to listen in to what was being said to her or it would have been a denial of her constitutional rights to have an advocate present during questioning; and

2. Oneida Police Department (OPD) officers Matt Ninham and Jack Mehojah asked to speak with Leah behind the glass doors;

3. OPD officers Jack Mehojah and Matt Ninham stated if we stepped outside, we would be ejected but we never went outside; our wrist bands were never taken from either of us nor were we ejected from the designated meeting area nor were we prevented from returning to the meeting;

4. We were allowed to go back into the meeting after the conversation with OPD officers and Internal Security and were also allowed to sign-out at the conclusion of the GTC meeting.

Based upon the aforementioned, my stipend plus travel time and mileage will need to be reimbursed if you wish to have the meeting.  Also, failure to supply any and/or all relevant information will result in this matter being brought to General Tribal Council via petition where all names and actions will be disclosed and all policies/procedures surrounding this matter presented for questioning by GTC.

If you overturn the decision to deny the stipend, I expect my check within five (5) business days of receipt of this letter and notification of your intent to send me the $100 stipend check both via certified letter and notification to me via e-mail. 

Respectfully,

Michael Debraska

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UPDATE: Secretary Patty Hoeft has confirmed that the Oneida Business Committee voted at their February 26, 2014 Regular Meeting to cancel the April 6, 2014 Special GTC Meeting.

The BC Chair’s message on the ‘Members Only’ section of the Tribe’s website claims that the BC’s decision was due to BC Resolution 02-12-14-B, Emergency Cost Containment and Spending Restriction through the end of Fiscal Year 2014, despite the fact that the FY2014 Cost Containment says nothing about the need to limit or eliminate duly called GTC Meetings.

The only way one might twist the FY14 Cost Containment Resolution to delay duly called GTC Meetings from being held in a timely manner is to claim that doing so is somehow covered by the following:

9. Eliminate all non-essential, non-emergency expenditures that will not affect human safety. A case by case consideration may allow careful examination of each situation.

Does the BC consider addressing duly called for GTC Meetings based on petitions in a timely manner to be “non-essential”?

A draft version of the July 7, 2014 GTC Semi-Annual Meeting Agenda includes the following:

7.   New Business

 A.  Referendum Questions

1.   2012 – When a thorough audit is completed, should this Audit Committee include any names of individuals, amounts of missing monies, etc., be included in each audit report? July 7, 2012 special election 320 yes, 127 no

2. 2013 – Should the land use plan be brought before GTC for approval to be changed or reversed? July 6, 2013 special election, 239 yes, 81 no

B.   Petitions

1.   Petitioner Linda Dallas: Require Tribe to pay real estate taxes for all Tribe-owned  property – Petition submitted March 4, 2013

2.   Petitioner Madelyn Genskow: To review and consider the attached resolutions. – Petition submitted July 10, 2013

a.   Genskow resolution no.1 – In the event that public hearings are a requirement, we direct the Business Committee to hold the required public hearings and bring these resolutions to the GTC intact – Petition submitted July 10, 2013

b.   Genskow resolution no. 2 – Now therefore be it resolved – presenters whosubmitted petitions may respond to questions and comments from the floor at GTC meetings

3.   Petitioner Loretta V. Metoxen – To request the General Tribal Council (GTC) to overturn the motion on December 15th, 2013 to dissolve the Oneida Seven Generation Corporation (OSGC). Rationale: Huge financial losses of property & services causing lack of credibility of the Oneida Nation for future ventures. – Petition submitted Dec. 18, 2013

4.   Petitioner Lizzie “Laurie” Mouse – to request the Oneida General Tribal Council to overturn the Nov. 19, 2013 decision of the Oneida Appeals Commission, commonly referred to as the “Oneida Tribal Judicial System”, regarding the matter of Docket #13-AC-009 Mouse, Looney & Lizzie vs. Oneida Land Commission Board and direct Oneida Land Management Division to work with the petitioner to return the home. Should the GTC uphold the Oneida Appeals Commission decision dated Nov. 19, 2013, the GTC direct that the petitioner shall have sixty (60) calendar days from the date of the GTC meeting/decision regarding this matter to vacate the home. – Petition submitted Jan. 20, 2014

C.   Other

1.   General Tribal Council Meetings Law – Councilmember David Jordan – To create a schedule of GTC meeting dates, set a general agenda for those meetings, outline the petition process, set standards of conduct for those attending meetings, outline the duties of those preparing and assisting with the meetings

Are BC members hoping & praying that GTC members who voted to dissolve OSGC on December 15, 2013 will be so tired and worn out from the holiday & powwow weekend that they won’t show up in sufficient numbers to stop OSGC cheerleaders, such as Loretta Metoxen and Rocky Hill and Bruce King and their supporters, from overturning GTC’s December 15, 2013 vote to dissolve OSGC?

The best way to make sure that GTC’s interests are served is to vote against Loretta Metoxen’s petition at the Monday July 7, 2014 GTC Semi-Annual Meeting and to vote out the current BC at the July 12, 2014 General Election a vote for a new & improved BC made up of Tribe members who demonstrate that they fully understand that they are applying for a position to work for – and not over – General Tribal Council.

Oneida Eye will provide further information as it becomes available.

 

This entry was posted in Fmr. OBC Chair Ed Delgado, General Tribal Council, Oneida Internal Security, Oneida Police Department, Oneida Seven Generations Corporation and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

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